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Address: Butts Green Road, Hornchurch RM11 2JP
Opened: 1 October 1909
Station Code: EMP
Fare Zone: 6

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London Overground Line(s) Served:

Romford to Upminster

Service Pattern(s):

Two trains per hour to Upminster
Two trains per hour to Romford

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Station History

Although the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway had constructed their new branch line between Romford and Upminster in 1893, no intermediate stations were provided.

This situation changed in the early 1900s when, following a surge in new housebuilding in the immediate area, and the proposed opening of a station at Gidea Park by the Great Eastern Railway, the LTSR decided to build a new station and this duly opened on 1 October 1909 as Emerson Park Halt.

As opened, the new station consisted of a single bidirectional platform with a canopy throughout. Due to the rural nature of the station, no station buildings were provided and the only track alteration was to provide a passing loop to the west to allow more services to operate.

Throughout its life, the station has remained unchanged, with ownership passing to the London Midland Railway in 1912, followed by the London Midland & Scottish Railway following the Grouping of the railways in January 1923. Nationalisation of the railways in 1948 saw the LMS become part of the London Midland Region of British Railways before transferring to the Eastern Region in February 1949.

Under the new ownership, traffic patterns were examined and it was decided to remove the short workings between Emerson Park & Upminster and only run the full-length service. This change led to the station’s passing loop being closed and removed as it was now redundant.

Steam operation ceased on the line on 15 September 1956 when diesel multiple-unit operation began. It was also at this time that direct workings beyond Upminster ceased and the service became what it is today.

Fast forward to the 1980s and ownership of the station passed to the London & South Eastern sector of BR, before becoming part of Network Southeast in 1986. It was under this new ownership that diesel multiple unit operation ceased, with the last train running on 10 May of that year with electric multiple unit operation commencing on the 12th.

Following privatisation of the railways in 1997, First Great Eastern took over operations, with this lasting until National Express East Anglia took the reins in 2004. This was followed in 2012 by new operator Abellio Greater Anglia who lasted just three years before the line was taken over as part of the London Overground franchise operated on behalf of Transport for London by Arriva Rail in May 2015.